We may only be two days into 2015 but I'd bet my bottom dollar that this bouquet will be one of the best of the year. Paige Lewis Events coordinated and designed this entire celebration, from the florals to the cake, and I keep pinning photo after photo from this gorgeous gallery by Ikonica Images. I have a feeling I'm not the only one and we'll be seeing these flowers repinned many more times to come.

View as

Gallery

From The Bride... Having both moved to Toronto together early in our relationship, it was important to Andre and I that our wedding be held in the city we now call home. What better place to show off our city and throw an amazing party than in the heart of downtown. Malaparte offered everything we were looking for in a venue from incredible views of the CN Tower to the most delicious food from Oliver & Bonacini. The venue also lent itself well to the style of wedding we both wanted – modern and clean yet full of romantic touches and elegant elements. It’s not your typical ballroom!

It was important to us that our wedding not look like a very traditional wedding. While we wanted some traditional elements, we wanted to throw in surprises that our guests may not have seen before. Luckily we had our wedding planner, Paige Lewis, to help us with this. She suggested unique elements like harvest tables and chair decals. For us, the harvest tables were a no-brainer. They gave our reception space a streamlined, modern look and gave the evening a more intimate feeling.

We also worked with Paige to perfect our colour story. She suggested colour palettes that were fresh and distinctive. In the end, we went with a black, white, gold and mint colour scheme. Even though mint has been “done before” I hadn’t seen it presented this way with tons of gold to add luxury and touches of black to keep the look elegant and grounded.

Incorporating us as a couple into the day was also important. Andre is Portuguese so I wanted to celebrate his culture. We decided against the traditional Portuguese seafood midnight buffet and instead infused the day with more refined touches of his heritage. On our dessert table we had the most incredible Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese custard tarts) and our favour tags were written in both English and Portuguese. My family is from Nova Scotia so our menu included a play on fish & chips (an expertly prepared potato-crusted halibut) and once the dancing started, I made sure the DJ had lots of upbeat, east coast music on hand.

My Hayley Paige dress was my favourite element of the day. When I started shopping for a dress I scoured the GTA for something unique. I found my dress while searching online. I loved it from the moment I saw it. The dress was romantic with a touch of sexy and the incredible beaded straps and back was exactly what I was looking for. After discovering there was only one store in my area that carried the designer, Pearl Bridal House, I called them immediately. I discovered that a sample hadn’t even been made yet because the dress was so new! The ladies at Pearl suggested I try on a similar style to get an idea of what it would look like. After trying on the other dress, looking at the photos online for weeks and endlessly debating it with my bridesmaids, I took the plunge and purchased it without actually trying it on! When I finally tried on the sample a few months later, I knew I had made the right decision. At the reveal, Andre’s jaw literally dropped and at the reception, my guests could not stop saying how they had never seen a dress like this before.

Our wedding day overflowed with love and happiness. It’s such an incredible feeling being surrounded by so many people who support and love you. Andre and I could not have been more blessed at that moment. It’s a day we’ll truly never forget.